Applied Acoustics Systems

Lounge Lizard EP-4

Once again, AAS raises the bar in the recreation of the classic Rhodes™ and Wurlitzer™ electric pianos. Not only does Lounge Lizard EP-4 deliver the authentic tone of the originals, but it also preserves their action and feel. Once you get your hands on Lounge Lizard, that elusive electric piano sound becomes a vivid reality.

Using our award winning physical modeling technology, we've come up with refinements that take one of the most impressive and unanimously acclaimed software to another level.

Presets and Effects

Lounge Lizard comes with an extensive preset library that is simply inspiring, giving you access to the Rhodes™ and Wurlitzer™ sounds popularized by musical legends like Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and George Duke. There is a choice of pure and true tones as well as a selection of processed ones courtesy of the high-end effects section.

The effects section includes the classic tremolo, chorus, wah, and phaser effects as well as EQ, delay and reverb. These effects are specially designed for the electric piano, making it very easy to create your own distinctive custom tones.

EP Character and Beyond

The original Rhodes™ pianos provided timbre and volume adjustments by letting you position the tines in relation to the pickups. These adjustments were at the heart of the electric piano's character as they controlled the harmonic content, attack, and decay of the sound, offering unique tone to each player. But there was a price for this flexibility. Several painstaking hours with a screwdriver and incredible patience was needed to change the sound of an electric piano.

Suffer no more! With Lounge Lizard, the preset library provides a selection of thoroughly chosen Tine/Pickup configurations. You also have the ability to make those adjustments in real time via two simple controls: Distance and Symmetry.

It doesn't end there. Because controls are provided for the various electro­mechanical components, Lounge Lizard can be pushed far beyond hardware equivalents, opening up a completely new realm of sonic possibilities!

What's more, since the interaction between the tine and pickup is quite unique, its effect can't be obtained with the filtering provided by samplers. This limits sampled solutions to one or two fixed configurations and brings physical modeling to the forefront of the electric piano recreation.

Modeling an Electric Piano: How it works

The electric piano was invented by Harold Rhodes (1910-2000) during the forties when he was in the army. The first instruments he built were made of aircraft pieces and were intended to entertain army servicemen. It became a very popular instrument in jazz and rock, and has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years through it's extensive use by the world's top hip hop, R&B, and house producers.

The mechanism of the electric piano is, in fact, quite simple. A note played on the keyboard activates a hammer that hits a fork. The sound of that fork is then amplified by a magnetic coil pickup and sent to the output, very much like an electric guitar.

New Features in Lounge Lizard EP-4:

NEWFactory Library

The completely renewed factory library features the classic Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds as well as over 200 gig- and mix-ready custom electric pianos making good use of the compressor, equalizer, and multi-effect processor.

NEWCompressor and Equalizer

These new additions are perfect to add punch and definition to your sound, letting you cut through any dense mix or stage.

NEWCharacter Control

The new Character control provides five classic studio and stage signal path emulations – that's the cabinet, pre-amp, microphone, and recorder chain that follows the piano's output – to easily snug fit your electric piano part into your track.

NEWLimiter

The new output limiter protects your ears and monitors during experimentation with the piano's physical modeling parameters while providing a maximum of distortion-free dynamics.

NEWStreamlined Interface

Redesigned from the ground up, the new interface now divides Lounge Lizard EP-4 into three panels: Play presents shortcuts to the main piano and effect parameters including bypass switches for quick edits; Edit lets you get under the hood and voice the piano to taste; while FX supplies equalizer, compressor, multi-effect, and reverb processors for final shaping duties.

This product is delivered digitally. Easy secure download instructions and license information will be emailed to you after you have completed placing your order. Please note this this is usually very fast however, occasionally it may take as long as one to two business days.